Fish hook setting device

ABSTRACT

A fish hook setting device which conveniently can be interposed in the line between the fish hook and the fishing rod reel involving a toggle which, when in set position, is slightly over center. The toggle comprises a pair of levers with the end of one lever connected to a plunger slidable in a housing. A spring is disposed between the plunger and one end of the housing to bias the plunger toward the other end of the housing. A slight tug, as by a fish biting, operates to break the toggle and by the spring means impose a jerk or quick pull on the hook for capturing the fish.

United States Patent Helmke 1 Nov. 13, 1973 1 FISH HOOK SETTING DEVICEPrimary Examiner-Robert Peshock [76] Inventor: Emil A. Helmke, 4018Parrakeet St., Asslsmm Exammer Damel Leach Toledo, Ohio 436l2AttorneyMalcolm W. Fraser 22 Filed: July 31, 1972 I Appl. No.2 276,822

[52] U.S. Cl. 43/15 [51] Int. Cl A01k 97/00 [58] Field of Search 43/15,16

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,931 1/1927 Pennell43/15 2,726,470 12/1955 Bass et al..... 43/15 2,755,589 7/1956 Osborne43/15 2,876,578 3/1959 Argenio 43/15 [5 7] ABSTRACT A fish hook settingdevice which conveniently can be interposed in the line between the fishhook and the fishing rod reel involving a toggle which, when in setposition, is slightly over center. The toggle comprises a pair of leverswith the end of one lever connected to a plunger slidable in a housing.A spring is disposed between the plunger and one end of the housing tobias the plunger toward the other end of the housing. A slight tug, asby a fish biting, operates to break the toggle and by the spring meansimpose a jerk or quick pull on the hook for capturing the fish.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FISH HOOK SETTING DEVICE SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The provision of a spring biased toggle in a fish hook settingdevice has an outstanding advantage of being positive and of an abruptor instantaneous snap action. The toggle levers are so constructed andarranged that the toggle can be made or set by one hand almost with v asingle motion. This eliminates the arrangement of hook catchesheretofore employed in this connection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERREDEMBODIMENT The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a fishhook setting device having a cylindrical metal tube or body 10, one edgeportion of which is crimped over as indicated at 11 to retain acentrally apertured spring retaining washer 12 in place. Slideablewithin the body or barrel is an elongate cylindrical plunger 13 whichmay be of a suitable plastic, such as nylon. Interposed within the body10 between the inner end of the plunger and the washer 12 is a helicallycoiled spring 14.

In one side of the barrel is a slot or cut-away portion 15 toaccommodate the action of a toggle mechanism. The toggle is made up ofan upper lever 16 which consists of a pair of spaced arm memberspivotally connected at their outer ends to a generally U-shaped lowertoggle lever 17. The links of the toggle lever 16 straddle an end of thelever 17, and for connecting these parts a pinion rivet 18 has a largerdiameter in the central portion 18 freely to fit the hole in the togglelever 17 and to afford free rocking motion. The ends of the rivet 18extends through holes inthe ends of the lever link 16 and are upset.

In the lower end of the plunger 13 is a transversely cut-away portion 19to afford free rocking movements of the toggle lever arms 16. Incommunication with the cut-away portion 19 is a pair of spaced slots 20in which the end portions of the links of the arm 16 extend and wherethey rock upon a pinion pin 21 extending transversely through theplunger 13. It will be noticed that the lower toggle lever 17 isgenerally U-shaped with an arm 17a somewhat shorter than the other arm17b, the shorter arm 17a being pivoted to the toggle lever links 16 andthe longer arm 17b being pivoted to a pin 22 which extends transverselythrough the end portion of the tubular body 10.

At the juncture of the longer'arm 17b of the toggle lever 17 and itscross arm is a hole 23 to accommodate the looped end of a leader 24which at its free end carries a fish hook 25. A stainless steel wire 26has one end suitably anchored in a hole 27 in the upper end of theplunger 13. The wire 26 extends through the coil spring 14 and the holein the washer 12 to the outside.

On the outer end of the wire 26 is a suitably formed loop 28 to which isattached the line from the fishing rod reel, as will be readilyunderstood.

In operation, after the hook 25 is suitably baited, the toggle is madeor set by rocking the toggle arm 17 inwardly from the position shown inFIG. 1 to that shown in FIG. 2. In so doing, the coil spring 14 isplaced under compression in response to the movement of the plunger 13toward the retainer washer 12. When the fish nibbles or bites on thebail, creating a slight pressure, the toggle is broken and this causesthe plunger 13 to move abruptly downward in response to the action ofthe coil spring 14. This abrupt yank sets the hook in the fish andenables it to be caught more readily. The action is such as to militateagainst the fish swallowing the hook. As a consequence, unwanted orundersized fish are not killed, and may be safely returned to the water.

The amount of throw of the toggle determines the amount of pull requiredto trip the device. One important feature is the ability of the toggleto be rocked by one hand to its set position. This can be accomplishedby rocking the toggle lever 17 about its pivot pin 22 and at the sametime holding the barrel or housing 10. Thus, a single hand can be usedto set the toggle. It is further to be noted that after the device hasbeen tripped, there is always tension on the toggle links 16 and 17 sothat a fish which is hooked remains under spring tension. 6

What I claim is:

l. A fish hook setting device comprising a tubular housing,

a plunger slideable in said housing,

a spring seat at one end of said housing,

a coil spring bearing at one end against said plunger and at the otherend against said spring seat,

a toggle mechanism having one lever means pivoted at itsinner end to thelower end portion of said plunger,

a second toggle lever pivoted at one end to the outer end of said firsttoggle lever means and pivoted at 7 its other end to the adjacent end ofsaid housing, an opening in the side of said housing to enable actuationof said toggle between a set and tripped positions,

means enabling the attachment of a fish-hook carrying line to saidsecond toggle lever, and

a line having one end anchored to said plunger, and extending throughsaid spring to the outside for connection of a fishing rod reel.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which said second toggle lever isgenerally U-shaped with one arm shorter than the other and such armsconnected by a transverse arm, the pivotal connection with said firsttoggle lever means being with the shorter arm, the longer arm beingpivoted at its end to the end portion of the housing, and the attachmentenabling means comprising a hole at the juncture of the long andtransverse arms of said second toggle lever.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said first toggle armcomprises a pair of laterally spaced links straddling the end portion ofsaid second toggle arm, and the pivotal connection between said togglearms comprising a pinion rivet having reduced end portions extendingthrough holes in said links, the central portion of said pinion rivetbeing of greater diameter than said end portions and of substantiallength to fit freely links respectively, and a pivot pin extendingtransversely through said plunger and on which said links rock.

1. A fish hook setting device comprising a tubular housing, a plungerslideable in said housing, a spring seat at one end of said housing, acoil spring bearing at one end against said plunger and at the other endagainst said spring seat, a toggle mechanism having one lever meanspivoted at its inner end to the lower end portion of said plunger, asecond toggle lever pivoted at one end to the outer end of said firsttoggle lever means and pivoted at its other end to the adjacent end ofsaid housing, an opening in the side of said housing to enable actuationof said toggle between a set and tripped positions, means enabling theattachment of a fish-hook carrying line to said second toggle lever, anda line having one end anchored to said plunger, and extending throughsaid spring to the outside for connection of a fishing rod reel.
 2. Adevice as claimed in claim 1, in which said second toggle lever isgenerally U-shaped with one arm shorter than the other and such armsconnected by a transverse arm, the pivotal connection with said firsttoggle lever means being with the shorter arm, the longer arm beingpivoted at its end to the end portion of the housing, and the attachmentenabling means comprising a hole at the juncture of the long andtransverse arms of said second toggle lever.
 3. A device as claimed inclaim 2, in which said first toggle arm comprises a pair of laterallyspaced links straddling the end portion of said second toggle arm, andthe pivotal connection between said toggle arms comprising a pinionrivet having reduced end portions extending through holes in said links,the central portion of said pinion rivet being of greater diameter thansaid end portions and of substantial length to fit freely in a hole insaid shorter arm of said second toggle lever.
 4. A device as claimed inclaim 3, comprising a transverse cut-away portion in the plunger toafford swinging movement of said lever links, a pair of slots in thebottom of said cut-away portion to accommodate said links respectively,and a pivot pin extending transversely through said plunger and on whichsaid links rock.